Chioneso Rutsito, ZIMBABWE

WOMEN AT WAR

Parched lips
Sagging hips
We haven't aged
But we are worn and old
Sighing day in day out
Everyday shadowed with doubt
We are already grandmothers
Yet we have never been mothers
Why should you complain
Every generation has had its battle
You have to earn your mantle
Our mother's mothers had to raise dozens
All on their own
Their fathers had gone to war
Back then it was the Ian Smith soldiers
The ones who raped and killed the mothers
The comrades were harsh too
Our own mothers
Were beaten up by our fathers
Always abused threatened
Raped
Given STIs
HIVs
Unwanted babies
Family planning came
Condoms came
Never to be used freely
Everything tricky
Then the born free generation came
Seemed like a whole new different game
Equal education opportunities
Better job opportunities
Everything set to change after marriage
Women still in bondage
Raped in those marriages too
How could that be true
That a husband would rape his wife
What is rape
So here we are in this present generation
Saying no to forced penetration
Of our minds
Our spirits
Our bodies
Our souls
Our dreams
But we grow old
The world is cold


*ALUTA CONTINUA

The first time I saw the demon possess you..
I should have run and left you
Yet I stood there...
I let you hit me
Sense didn’t hit me
I didn't defend myself
I defended you…
I made excuses for you
You were overcome with anger
You loved me
And I loved you
So, I couldn't leave you
The swollen lips
The bruised eyes
Always forgotten every time...
Especially when you parted my thighs
So, I embraced the demon in you
Accepted it loved it like I loved you
Every time it came to life ....
My body stilled ready for its wrath ....
I never dreamt i would still my body to its death
Senselessness
Written by me
The abused
The broken
The dead

*A Portuguese phrase meaning “the struggle continues”.


A BRAND-NEW DAY

I am so afraid of today
Just as I was afraid of yesterday
So, I cover my head
Where am I going to get today's bread?
No money, my pockets are empty
My children's uniforms filthy, dirty
Their bellies growling hunger, aplenty
Their school lunch tins empty
If I start wailing there'd be no stopping
So, I lay still underneath the blanket my heart stopping
Then I hear the pattering feet
My heart misses a beat
My bedroom door opens
My life darkens
Why did the sun rise?
How do I keep the tears out of our eyes?
This is the day that the Lord has made
In these, are the burdens we have laid
A Zimbabwean dawn!



Chioneso Rutsito is a vocalist/composer/songwriter/poet/instrumentalist/chef and a humanitarian. Her first recording was "Stay" which she did with the band Mudzi(the root) after having been discovered at the Book Cafe Open Mic in 2015. She then went on to do a rendition of the folk song Nyarara with the Harare Jazz trio. Later on, she penned and sang the radio hit Eddimore in 2016 which was produced by Toga.  She collaborated on another hit with DJ Wedenga "No Plan B” and went on to storm the airwaves with yet another hit "Kamini". She has proved to be a great storyteller.  Currently, she is working on an album called "Sarungano". Though she hasn't given a release date yet, it is expected to be a chartbuster like her earlier hit songs.

1 comment :

  1. Great poetry reflects exactly on how most women feel about themselves and the issues pertaining our day to day lives in Zimbabwe. Lovely work

    ReplyDelete

We welcome your comments related to the article and the topic being discussed. We expect the comments to be courteous, and respectful of the author and other commenters. Setu reserves the right to moderate, remove or reject comments that contain foul language, insult, hatred, personal information or indicate bad intention. The views expressed in comments reflect those of the commenter, not the official views of the Setu editorial board. рдк्рд░рдХाрд╢िрдд рд░рдЪрдиा рд╕े рд╕рдо्рдмंрдзिрдд рд╢ाрд▓ीрди рд╕рдо्рд╡ाрдж рдХा рд╕्рд╡ाрдЧрдд рд╣ै।